Sound healing from Brazil
- Jason Bermingham
- Jul 7
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 26
Mabel Feres and Mauro Cavalletti bring their instruments to The Booth Within
Long before wellness apps and self-help podcasts, humans turned to sound to calm the mind, ease pain, and find their footing in a noisy world. Tibetan singing bowls have been around for over 2,500 years, and chanting, drumming, and gongs have been part of healing practices across continents for millennia. Today, science talks about vibration, entrainment, and how certain frequencies can slow brainwaves and support the body’s natural ability to restore itself. Still, while these ideas are often discussed, studies have yet to fully explain the intricacies of how sound healing works.
I first met Mabel and Mauro during a mountain retreat at the enchanting Fazenda Lila with my wife, Simone. We were there for yoga, quiet walks, and some much-needed space away from São Paulo’s constant noise. But it was the sound healing sessions that stood out most. Lying still as waves of sound moved through the room, I felt something shift—a reminder that pausing can be powerful.
Before opening a yoga studio and hosting wellness retreats in the mountains, Mabel had spent over twenty years working as a photographer. Her husband, Mauro, came from the fast-paced world of advertising. The curiosity and creativity that fueled his career now guide him as he explores sound as a tool for well-being. Both know what it’s like to change paths—and to listen when something inside says it’s time to realign.
Mabel and Mauro describe sound healing as a way of letting vibration guide the body back into balance. Place water inside a singing bowl while it plays, and shapes will form on the surface—tiny mandalas drawn by sound. It’s a reminder that vibration can organize something within us, even if we don’t fully understand how, and we can feel the shift when it happens.
The sessions aren’t rushed. They play out over the course of twenty minutes or more, creating space to settle, breathe, and find a new rhythm. The steady hum of a crystal bowl, the deep vibration of a gong, or the soft, rain-like sounds of chimes can become anchors, pulling us back from the swirl of thoughts and notifications that fill our days.
Why do so many of us struggle to find a moment of quiet? Maybe it’s because our sympathetic nervous systems stay switched on, ready to react day and night. Practices like meditation, breathwork, and sound healing can help engage the parasympathetic system—the part that says, “You’re safe. It’s okay to rest now.”
You don’t need to aim for deep meditation or constant mindfulness to begin. As Mabel shares, even one slow, gentle breath can start to shift your state. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s simply to pause.
Bruno Bona, who creates the music and sound design for The Booth Within, was there for these recordings. As a musician and studio engineer, he brings a careful ear to everything we produce, making sure Mabel’s and Mauro’s instruments were captured with the same quality and care that go into every conversation we share here.
So, whether you’re listening in your car, on your couch, or lying on the floor, get comfortable, close your eyes, and let the vibrations offer the pause you need when the outside world gets too loud.
Featured instruments
Crystal singing bowls
Feng gong
Koshi wind chimes
Ocean drum
Rattle (with seeds from a pink jequitibá tree)
Rain stick (from the Amazon rainforest)
Links
Viva Om Yoga
Fazenda Lila
Mabel on LinkedIn
Mauro on LinkedIn
Crystal bowls (Brazil)
Peter Hess singing bowls (Germany)
The Sound Healing Studio (USA)
